Sunday, October 13, 2024

Currently Reading #20 [06 - 12 October 2024]

Currently Reading

Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [25%]
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah [28%]
Hellenistic Astrology by Chris Brennan [02%] 
- Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert [28%]
- Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews [52%]
- Phantasma by Kaylie Smith [00%]
- The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix [80%]
- The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde [34%]
- Sons of Darkness by Gourav Mohanty [13%]

* * *
Yearly Goal
61/72
* * *

Not that I needed another read on top of the EIGHT that I already had going, but my Discord server decided that we would read Phantasma by Kaylie Smith. It looks good. I will give you all that. It's also enormous if memory serves. And we only have until 02 November to finish it. I don't know if I will...at least I will try!

I also told you all I was bad at this. I remembered to post my 01-05 entry on the 12th. Because, you know, brain. Let's see if I can remember to post this week's when I'm supposed to. 

I've made decent progress in my reading for the month so far now that I'm taking my Kindle with me to my new job as well as my Dime Black earbuds. I no longer work in a customer service setting and I've only just gotten through my first week in a sheetmetal manufacturing plant (I work over in packing). It's been interesting and I've gotten through a lot of the two books I've been needing to prioritize. Which also means that a few books have fallen into the land of soft-DNF. 

What else happened...um...oh! I finished Malediction's Embrace and I have to say I adored it. The whole thing reads like its D&D inspired. Not affiliated with them or Wizards of the Coast or even Hasbro because of the way she sidesteps the words they use (drow, Lolth, tabaxi, tiefling) but it was still well done and I liked it. Makes me wonder what kind of fun words can I come up with to replace them? 

Nothing else particularly exciting has happened. I'm either working, sleeping, or reading. Let's continue this in next week's!! 

Saturday, October 5, 2024

Currently Reading #19 [01-05 October 2024]

Currently Reading

- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [25%]
- Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah [15%]
- Hellenistic Astrology by Chris Brennan [02%] 
- Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews [01%]
- The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix [21%]

*** 
Yearly Goal
61/72
***

I think it's fair to say that I am absolute shite at remembering to post these. I'm happy for anyone at all who is still reading anything I put up on the blog and I encourage you to leave me comments calling me out for my horrendous memory. Remind me on Friday and Saturday that I have to actually post the thing on Sunday! Or I probably won't do it and then we are all missing out on another week of me rambling (likely enough to just myself). 

Anyway! Let's start this blog by talking about the Orilium Magical Readathon and how that went. Which was amazing by the way. I plowed right through my reading goal and ended up finishing the whole thing on September 21st. An entire nine days before the end of the actual reading challenge. I did enjoy the books that I read. Though some were more difficult to read than others. It was a good month. 

I did change my reading goal back to the original 72. Puts less pressure on me to read 8-10 books a month. I know I can average about 5-7. and with an actual goal of 6....that makes life so much easier. I'm even going back to TBRs starting in October, which you can see here. This way I can work my way through the end of my reading for the year. I may even start working on making up my TBRs for the rest of the year. I do have to remember to include my Year in Aeldia books. I think October is....King of the Rising by Kacen Callendar. I'll definitely have to check....I don't remember. 

Yep, it would be "The Faewild! Quickly hide and be stealthy to avoid being seen" (not heard people talk about recently) and I'm pretty sure I've never heard anyone talking about King of the Rising. Queen of the Conquered, yes. Never the sequel. 

I'm going to skip the Haul, Wrap-Up, and Unhaul for September, since I don't actually remember what all books I managed to acquire in the month and I'm pretty sure at least one person will have gifted me a book/giftcard on my birthday (which has just recently passed) and I'm a definite hoarder of books. (None of that happened. I got a pair of earrings, a coloring book, and a dust buster). 

A friend and I have been watching Firefly Lane on Netflix and I have since picked up a copy of the book that I have decided I wanted to begin on October 1st and read only one chapter of every night. It will take me just over a month to read the book unless I do two-three chapters in any single sitting. There are thirty-seven, I think? So like six weeks. Should be no issue to get through it in that time. Knowing myself, I'll end up doing many many double to triple reads. 

I did try the Cawpile method and realized it just didn't work for me. It made it next to impossble to rate any book a five-star. So I'm going to go back to the 1-5 vibes kind of rating which is as follows: 

  • 0 Star - This will be reserved for just Wrap-Ups if I should discuss any DNF'd books from that month. A book given no stars is one that I have not finished. 
  • 1 Star - I didn't like it at all. There was something about the book that just rubbed me the wrong way and I am more than likely to unhaul it at the next opportunity. Not to say that the book is bad to everyone, like what you like. It was just not for me. 
  • 2 Star - The book was meh at best. I didn't necessarily hate it, but it wasn't something that I enjoyed at all. It is on the chopping block to be unhauled and I will likely enough not have nice things to say about it.
  • 3 Star - It was okay. Not good or bad. It's unlikely I will reread it in the future, but I will keep it in case the mood should strike. Sort of middle of the road books. A lot of nonfiction will fall into the 3 Star category. 
  • 4 Star - It was good. I enjoyed the either the plot or the characters and could foresee myself rereading it in the future. 
  • 5 Star - I was in love the entire time. Something in the book really spoke to my soul and there is a high chance that I will want to reread it. 
That looks decent for now. It may change at the start of the new year, who knows. Certainly not me. I never know what I'm going to do. 

I've unfortunately had to remove two books that I received for free from the author and I feel bad about it. I got the first and third book in her series and I absolutely just could not get past the first twenty pages of book 1. It hurts my soul that I can't keep reading it. It had such promise but it felt like we were watching a weird docudrama with flat characters. I don't know. I just didn't...I didn't like it at all. 


Monday, September 30, 2024

October 2024 To Be Read

I don't know what has prompted me to go back to this, but I figured it would be what I'd do for the rest of the year. Really I only need to read ~4 books a month until the end of the year to reach my goal. I'm still gonna do a 6-book TBR! With no further adieu, let us get into the To-Be-Read!!


Print

1. Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert - It looks absolutely wonderful for the season. This dude, who called himself Father Silence, disguises himself so he can do unspeakable things to some kids. Two decades later he is put to death for the crimes. Then the detective who put Father Silence away is found dead and someone calling themselves The Outcast is claiming that he did it. I can't wait to be taken on what I will assume is going to be a wild ride. It looked amazing and I couldn't resist it for spooky season. I am so picking this one up first. 

2. Home is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose - Some estranged siblings come back together after the death of their parents to sort through the estate and settle things. They come across a series of home videos on VHS tape, and in a fit of nostalgia decide to start watching them. In one of the tapes, they learn that their parents might not have been as good as they remembered and now they have to decide if they are going to go to the police with this or bury it where it will never see the light. Makes you wonder for sure. If both of your parents were dead, and you found evidence that they had murdered someone and the case had gone cold because of lack of evidence, what would you do? Do you go to the police with it? The family of the victim would be given closure knowing what happened, but the culprits will never be prosecuted. Or do you destroy the evidence, letting sleeping dogs lie? I am looking forward to this read to see what the kids do. 

3. Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay - In 1993 a bunch of people go off to film a horror movie. Only three scenes from it ever make it out to the public, but it gains an almost cult following. Three decades later, Hollywood wants to reboot it and the only surviving cast member decides to help them remake it. As he does he remembers what happened all those years ago. This looks bonkers and I am into it.  This sounds like its the exact kind of psychological thriller that I'd be into. 


Digital

4. Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews - Andrew self-soothes with fantasical stories as his sister ignores him. He finds something odd as the boy he's got a crush on (it's obvious) returns to their academy with missing parents, blood on his clothes, and an absolute unwillingness to talk about what happened. I didn't even need to read any more of the synopsis to want to read this. It comes out on October 29th and I was graciously accepted to read an eARC of this before the release date. 

5. A Demon's Book of Shadows by Amanda Casey - Lucy is kind of averse to romance, just wanting to write and publish a book for dyslexic children. Amon wants to be left to his own and run his tattoo parlor when he is tasked with locating a missing Grimoire belonging to a wendigo. They end up having to work together to find this book. I have no memory of requesting the eARC for this, but apparently I did at some point, because I got the notification that I had been approved. It comes out on October 13th and I'm interested to say the least. Not my usual cup of tea, but I will still give it a go. 


Audio

6. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix - Patricia's life is kind of hectic with all the things in life, but she kind of uses her local book club to destress. Until a new guy blows into town which has her feeling things a married woman certainly shouldn't be. People start suspecting him when local children go missing and the book club works together (I think) to figure out if it was him and what happened to the kids. I don't know. It looked funny and I wanted something thrillery for October. Seemed appropriate for the month. I am looking forward to listening to it either on lunches or while doing work around the house/playing games. 


Bonus

7. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey have been friends since Tully moved in across the street in small-town Washington. They have relied on each other, sharing everything from the early 1970s until 2004 when something happens that breaks their relationship almost irrevocably. Can they reconcile and salvage a thirty year friendship or is this the end of the Firefly Lane Girls? Okay....a customer at my previous job recommended the Netflix show to us and a coworker and I decided we would watch the show. By the end of the first season we both acquired a copy of the book. I've decided I'm going to read only one-two chapters every night before bed as kind of the final thing for the night. 

8. Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson - Richard "Dodge" Forthrast. a tech genius, goes in for a routine procedure and something goes incredibly wrong that ends with him being pronounced braindead and his body left in the care of his family. Technology eventually allows Richard's brain to be uploaded into a program where he can live on in seeming immortality while his body is destroyed. But it might not be the utopia he was expecting it to be. I picked this up from the Friends of the Library sale back in...uh, June? July? Something like that, and I've been reading it since. It's ~880 pages of small, dense font detailing an incredibly complicated plot. I am enjoying it as I go, but I fear it will take me a bit to get through. 

9. Malediction's Embrace by Candice Morris -  Minolynn, otherwise known as Lynn, has spent years trying to find her brother, Xaraan, after he killed their mother and fled their home. She learns that he has made a pact with the Lord of Death himself, and has gained an unfathomable amount of power. She has to stop him before he destroys not just himself but the entire world as they know it. I was given this in return for a review and so far I'm loving it. I'd call it medium fantasy. Reads like a novelization of a D&D adventure. Though they did change the names of some things. 

10. A Journey of the Heart by Brenda Benning - Lundyn moves back to her small town home after graduating following the death of her mother. She needs the time to figure out what she wants to do with herself and her grandparents need help with their home and business. She learns something along the way that makes her start to question everything she knows about her life so far. It looked interesting and I was given a copy of it in return for not a review, exactly, but to see if I would want to continue on and review the third volume of the series, A Journey of the Soul. I have no idea what I'm going to think about it....but here's hoping!! 

11. King of the Rising by Kacen Callendar - A revolution has swept through the islands of Hans Lollik and former slave Loren Jannik has been chosen to lead the survivors in a bid to free the islands forever. But the rebels are running out of food, weapons and options. And as the Fjern inch closer to reclaiming Hans Lollik with every battle, Loren is faced with a choice that could shift the course of the revolution in their favor -- or doom it to failure. I don't really recall much from the first book, not that it matters. I picked this up to read for A Year in Aeldia's October prompt to read a book that I haven't heard people talking about recently. I haven't heard people talking about it ever. I nearly forgot to add it. 

Saturday, September 14, 2024

Review: A Demon's Book of Shadows by Amanda Casey

I'd like to start by thanking Ms. Casey for approving my request and allowing me the opportunity to read her book and give it a fair and honest review. 

* * *

Lucy has abstained from practicing magic for too long, according to her two single witch sisters. The equally single children’s librarian is fed up with the magic her Crow family has long been known for. All she wants is to publish a picture book and help kids cope with dyslexia. Like her fictional character Crystal the witch, Lucy possesses a special ability to see spirits. The last thing she needs is for a hot, tattooed demon haunting her library.

Amon has lived in the cozy Midwestern town of Midhaven for too long. He spends his time hanging out at Shadow Daddy’s bar with his demon brothers, or designing artwork at his tattoo parlor. His shadows all know that his romance life is lacking color. One fateful day, he is summoned by a wendigo who demands that he track down a grimoire his father lost over three hundred years ago.

Lucy and Amon are forced to put their beliefs about magic aside and work together to track down the grimoire. The one thing they can’t ignore is the magical chemistry between each other. Their feelings for one another ignites, leaving the witch and the demon wondering—can one really read magic? Or is magic like a good book, one that keeps you captivated forever?

* * *

I'm prefacing with the fact I have exactly zero recollection of signing up for this eARC. Not that I particularly mind when that happens. It's a fun surprise. 

That said, I'm not entirely sure this particular book was for me. The connection between Amon and Lucy seemed really contrived. There were many many moments throughout the book that gave me a bit of ick. I really didn't understand their absolute obsession with sex all the time. That it's only sex that will cure/solve any kind of problem. 

Lucy is a librarian. She has not been practicing magic for quite some time. And that seems to be causing interesting things to happen in Midhaven. And by that, I just mean a bunch of demons that showed up and opened a magical bar that I guess only other magical folk can see, you know, demons or witches. That was a unique thing that happened, but then there was no explanation that it was only demons and witches (and probably vampires, I don't know, they are mentioned in passing) that could even see and interact with the place. Lucy ignores it, focusing instead on her work with the library and then going home to be an introverted bookworm. 

Until Amon, a demon, begins basically stalking her and harrassing her. He's looking for this grimoire that his parents wrote that he lost. I think that he lost something like 300 years ago. In that time, he hasn't found it? Or even knew where it had ended up? You'd think something like that would have been a higher priority, but who am I to say anything. 

There were many times that I considered DNFing this book, but I wanted to see if it got any better or at least not so pent up? This was so just awkward, reading about them thinking about sleeping with each other and then just not bothering. It was like watching a very slow car accident. 

It did pick up a little bit after they finally get together, but by then my interest had wholly waned with the book. I think I would have been far more interested in it had there been more about the relationship between Familiars and Witches, a history of what happened at the Earth Uprising, more on the Bone Threader, the history between Melrose, Jeffery, and Amon. It felt really rushed at the end because she only gave herself half the book for all of this to happen. 

* * *

This book will be available for purchase on 13 October 2024

Currently Reading #18 [04 - 31 August 2024]

Currently Reading

- A Journey of the Heart by Brenda Benning [04%]
- Fall, or Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson [24%]
- Malediction's Embrace by Candace Morris [19%]

* * *

Yearly Goal
50/75

* * *

I know! I'm absolutely horrible at remembering to keep up with this blog. Not even that I don't want to blog...I just...forget? Troubles of the undiagnosed ADHD I suppose. It also doesn't help that I had the alarm set to remind me on Saturday instead of the Sunday, which is when I actually want to post the blog. 

Anyway! I finished a few books since I last spoke to you all. I went from what, 46 to 50. Not bad, I think. Officially at one book ahead of schedule since I've changed my goal. 

We finally got the prompts for the 2024 Autumn Equinox Semester and I've set my TBR. I have nine books to read. I think I can manage that. It's a little above my normal reading speed for the month. I've picked out a few that are <150 pages (one is only 52) that I can just easily get through. Another is a Seven Seas novel that I know I fly through. Read a 500+ page behemoth from them in like two days and the one on my list is only 350 pages. Biggest book on my TBR is 403 pages. 

Of course now all I can think about is the Orilium Readathon and it's just like "I want to start now. Not later, now." I've picked out a few things from the new Guild Emporium that will be useful to my character. Things that as someone who does more than just his own calling, he would definitely be able to use. A quill that takes dictation. A grimoire that never runs out of space...useful! I have found so many things that I can purchase to actually use, too. A handful of scrolls that will let me start early, read whatever I want to and count it....genius!

Dropped my reading goal from 100 to 75. Next year I'll put it at 72. 6 books per month for the year. Since I'll either be working from 6:30am - 3:00pm or 6:00am - 2:30pm Monday through Friday, and I will be jelly brained the rest of the day. I will at least have a fighting chance of hitting the goal....

Learned my new "local" (2.5 miles away) Dollar General sells the Pilot Frixion erasable highlighters that I absolutley love. So guess who bought one in every available color? Me! Now I can highlight with ease and just erase it when I'm done. I love these. They are excellent for people who want to highlight but are nervous. You can just get rid of it!

Saturday, August 24, 2024

September 2024 To Be Read

So, September is the new (current) month for the Orilium Magical Readathon and as we have officially gotten the prompts, I figured I would go ahead and post my TBR!

My character, an Iltirian named Aurin is a third year Godseer, which means he needs to get through nine (9) total books in order to pass the year and become an Adept and then move on to the fourth and final year of study. 

Shall we get on with the books then?


Actual TBR

1: Inscription (Ordinary) "Art of Decipher" Title has all the letters of your first name: Dearest Dorothy by Charlene Ann Baumbich

2: Restoration (Ordinary) "Night Dew" Night Sky on the cover: The Librarian by M.N. Arzu

3: Restoration (Qualified) "Dangerous Plants" Poisonous plant on the cover or in the title: Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

4: Conjuration (Ordinary) "Conjure: Bats" Bats on the cover or in the title: Maggie for Hire by Kate Danley

5: Conjuration (Qualified) "Conjure: Laurels" Book that won an award: Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

6: Demonology (Ordinary) "The Unfamiliars" Someone who doesn't read for fun picks your book: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

7: Lore (Ordinary) "Iltyrian History" Read a book with a vampire: Vampire by Peter Cawdron

8: Lore (Qualified) "Regional Retellings" Read a translated book: Thousand Autumns #1 by Meng Xi Shi

9. Lore (Distinguished) "Tale of a Dessert Creeper" Read a retelling: Elektra by Jennifer Saint



I think this is very doable for a readathon. 

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Review: Run, Rabbit, Run by Juniper Hartmann

Barbara "Bunny" Townsend is a gifted student, dedicated athlete, trauma survivor...

And now, helpless prey.

Her world is turned upside down when she finds hers
elf in a living nightmare, taken captive by a sociopathic man. Follow Bunny as she attempts to find her way to freedom. In the meantime, her captor has plans for her that will leave your jaw, and panties, dropping.

Run, Rabbit, Run contains explicit and sometimes upsetting scenes that may be upsetting for some audiences. Reader discretion is advised, as is checking the author's website for more information on her work.

* * *

First and foremost, I want to thank Juniper for putting me on the ARC team for this. It looked absolutely astounding and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to read it! 

Certainly enjoyed this one. The way we are just unceremoniously dumped into the action like there is nothing else important at all was a unique choice that I really appreciated. Anything else would have kind of spoiled information given later in the book. We follow Barbara "Bunny" Townsend as she is abducted and held captive by what can only be described as a psychopath. She comes to terms with her situation quickly, and while she does resist him at first, she eventually leans into the torture. There were so many scenes that I really should not have been reading in the breakroom at work. Keep that in mind going in. Readers beware: there is spice

I did end up taking a star off for a few combined reasons. For one, this book could have been longer. It was a lot of action happening that pushed the plot along more quickly than I would personally would personally have preferred. Then there was the actual BDSM part. I don't know a single DOM that would push someone like that. The one bathtub scene took it too far for my own tastes. I think we should have gotten more on the consent end of the whole thing. 

The twist at the end was stunning! I was not expecting it at all. You go through the entire book thinking its going to be a specific way and then it suddenly shifts gears. I still don't know the point of Michael, though...he seemed kind of extra? What did he contribute to the storyline?

* * *

This book is available now on most platforms where books are sold, and will be available from Amazon on 20 August 2024.